Sluggish Sales by Local Distributors
First written in FY2017-Q1. 11 of 27 entries say "Worsened", first in FY2017-Q2. Latest entry: 2026-11-06.
Tb Group moved to the "Worse" side of this theme in 2016, 9 years before the typical company in this theme (2025).
The whole theme swung hardest in 2022: 3 of 22 companies on the "Worse" side.
26 other companies' latest entry also says "Restated".
- FY2026Growth in corporate sales coexisting with weak SMB and regional salesAnnual report
「The corporate business performed strongly, and the LED Vision business posted substantial increases in revenue and profit on expanded orders, including a large-scale airport project. In the electronic cash register and POS businesses, the introduction of systems for tax authorities and other projects also contributed to performance. Meanwhile, consolidated subsidiaries focused primarily on the SMB segment, including small and mid-sized restaurants, performed poorly as market conditions deteriorated.」
Large corporate projects and systems for tax authorities grew, while sluggish sales in the SMB segment targeting small and mid-sized restaurants and similar businesses continued. - FY2025Sluggish regional sales alongside growth in corporate and Tokyo metropolitan-area salesAnnual report
「In the SMB segment, which primarily targets small and mid-sized restaurants, the direct-sales organization serving the Tokyo metropolitan area grew on the back of stronger inbound demand and the effect of new products, while sales in regional areas remained sluggish.」
Direct sales in the Tokyo metropolitan area grew on inbound demand and the effect of new products, while sluggish regional sales continued. - FY2025-H1RestatedAnnual report
「Sales of small and mid-sized LED signage, primarily marketed to small and mid-sized restaurants, remained sluggish in regional areas, but sales of the new LED display product “Super Ecolia yay!” and digital signage increased at the direct-sales organization serving the Tokyo metropolitan area, which captured inbound demand.」
Sluggish regional sales of small and mid-sized LED signage coexisted with growth in direct sales in the Tokyo metropolitan area, supported by inbound demand. - FY2024Improvement in direct sales in the Tokyo metropolitan area alongside challenging regional and cost conditionsAnnual report
「Sales of small and mid-sized LED signage, primarily marketed to small and mid-sized restaurants, remained sluggish and were further affected by higher costs resulting from the weaker yen and rising transportation expenses. The direct-sales organization serving the Tokyo metropolitan area benefited from growth in sales at key customers, driven in part by stronger inbound demand, resulting in improved performance and gross margin.」
It states that sales of small and mid-sized LED signage remained sluggish and continued to be affected by the weaker yen and higher transportation costs, while performance and gross margin improved at the direct-sales organization in the Tokyo metropolitan area, supported by inbound demand. - FY2024-Q3Improvement in direct sales in the Tokyo metropolitan area, with cost pressures continuingAnnual report
「Small and medium-format LED signage, primarily sold to small and medium-sized food-service establishments, was affected by cost increases caused by the weaker yen and higher transport costs. Performance improved at the direct-sales organisation serving the Tokyo metropolitan area, driven in part by growing inbound demand.」
The company states that small and medium-format LED signage continued to be affected by the weaker yen and higher transport costs, while the direct-sales organisation in the Tokyo metropolitan area improved, partly because of growing inbound demand. - FY2024-Q1Direct sales improve in the Tokyo metropolitan area, while urban areas outside the region remain weakAnnual report
「Small and medium-format LED signage, primarily sold to small and medium-sized food-service establishments, continued to be affected by shortages of semiconductors and other raw materials, higher transport costs and cost increases caused by the sharp depreciation of the yen, as in the previous fiscal year. However, following the reclassification of COVID-19 as a Class 5 infectious disease, performance improved at the direct-sales organisation serving the Tokyo metropolitan area. In contrast, weak results continued in regional urban areas.」
The company explains that the direct-sales organisation in the Tokyo metropolitan area improved, while weak performance in regional urban areas persisted. - FY2023Regional market conditions remain challenging, but the customer base is shifting to new marketsAnnual report
「Although conditions for small and medium-sized food-service establishments in the Tokyo metropolitan area showed signs of recovery, the regional economy is expected to remain challenging, as small and medium-sized food-service establishments and service businesses continue to face difficult conditions, including the ageing of their owners. The company will develop markets different from its traditional customer base through its newly launched cloud-based ASP business and medium-sized and high-definition see-through LED displays, shifting its products, customers and sales approach from hardware toward hardware plus DX.」
While stating that challenging conditions will persist for small and medium-sized food-service establishments and service businesses in regional areas, the company plans to broaden its sales markets through cloud-based ASP services and medium-sized and high-definition see-through LED displays. - FY2022MitigatedAnnual report
「For small and medium-format LED signage, the company shifted its sales focus away from food-service establishments heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic toward industries relatively less affected, such as automobile dealerships and repair shops and pet shops.」
In response to weak sales centred on food-service establishments, the company has continued shifting its target customers to industries relatively less affected, such as automobile dealerships and repair shops and pet shops, to broaden its customer base. - FY2022-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「For small and medium-format LED signage, the company shifted its sales focus away from food-service establishments affected by the COVID-19 pandemic toward industries relatively less affected, such as automobile dealerships and repair shops and pet shops.」
In response to weak sales to small and medium-sized food-service establishments, the company has continued shifting its sales focus to industries relatively less affected by COVID-19. - FY2022-Q2MitigatedAnnual report
「Regarding its sales strategy, the company broadened its customer base by shifting its sales focus away from small and medium-sized food-service establishments, which were most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, toward industries less affected, such as automobile dealerships and repair shops and pet shops.」
In response to weak sales previously concentrated among small and medium-sized food-service establishments, the company shifted its sales focus to industries relatively less affected and broadened its customer base. The LED & ECO business recorded higher revenue and a smaller loss. - FY2021WorsenedAnnual report
「The main factors were weak sales of small and medium-format LED signs in the group's core existing businesses amid the sluggish regional economy, delays in the contribution of new businesses to performance, and, since the previous fiscal year, weak sales of LED signs and other products to small and medium-sized food-service establishments, the group's main market, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.」
The company explicitly identifies the sluggish regional economy and the impact of COVID-19 on sales to small and medium-sized food-service establishments as factors behind the deterioration in performance through weak sales of existing small and medium-format LED signs. - FY2021-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「The COVID-19 pandemic significantly restricted economic activity in Japan after the state of emergency was declared in April 2020, including through voluntary closures by small and medium-sized food-service establishments and the cancellation of various events.」
The company reports that the operating environment for its main customers, which had already been weak in regional areas and among small and medium-sized businesses, deteriorated further with voluntary closures and event cancellations under the state of emergency. - FY2021-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「The electronic cash register and POS businesses also reported weak performance because of closures and other disruptions among small and medium-sized food-service and service businesses.」
In addition to the longstanding weakness in the regional economy and among small and medium-sized customers, closures and other disruptions among small and medium-sized food-service and service businesses further worsened the operating environment for customers. - FY2020WorsenedAnnual report
「The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected small and medium-sized food-service establishments and service businesses, the main customers of both divisions, and economic activity has been heavily restricted by voluntary closures and other measures. With no clear exit strategy or timetable following the lifting of the state of emergency, the situation has become difficult to forecast.」
In addition to the longstanding weakness in the regional economy and contraction of the small-format sign market, the company reports that its main customers, small and medium-sized food-service establishments and service businesses, were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. - FY2020-Q2RestatedAnnual report
「The core small-format LED sign market contracted as the regional economy in the traditional food-service and service-industry markets weakened.」
The company continues to recognise that the traditional market for small-format LED signs serving the food-service and service industries is contracting against the backdrop of the sluggish regional economy. - FY2020-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「Sales to new customer segments grew following the expansion of the digital signage business's high-definition full-colour display lineup. Bathing facilities and car parks were added as new customer segments, while the traditional food-service and service-industry markets contracted amid the sluggish regional economy.」
The company reports that, while developing new customers, the traditional food-service and service-industry markets contracted amid the sluggish regional economy. - FY2019WorsenedAnnual report
「The regional market for small-format LED signs is shrinking because of depopulation and an ageing population. Demand for displaying information and images, including communications-enabled i-signage and large-format displays, is increasing, resulting in more inquiries for large installations at infrastructure facilities such as government offices and roadside stations, as well as at tourist destinations.」
The company identifies the contraction of the regional small-format LED sign market as a structural factor caused by depopulation and an ageing population, while reporting an increase in inquiries for i-signage and large-format displays. - FY2019-Q3WorsenedAnnual report
「Although the traditional market for existing small-format LED signs is shrinking, demand for displaying information and images, including multilingual i-signage and digital signage displays, is increasing, resulting in more inquiries about installations at roadside stations and chain-store awnings.」
The company explicitly notes the contraction of the traditional small-format LED sign market, while reporting an increase in inquiries for multilingual i-signage and digital signage. - FY2019-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「Revenue in the LED sign business declined because of the sluggish regional economy affected by adverse weather conditions.」
Lower revenue from regional sales has continued against the backdrop of a sluggish regional economy caused by adverse weather conditions. - FY2019-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「The LED sign business has continued to experience lower revenue from small-format LED signs as regional distributors have been weakened by the sluggish regional economy.」
Lower revenue from small-format LED signs has continued, owing to the sluggish regional economy and the weakening of regional distributors. - FY2018-Q1WorsenedAnnual report
「The LED sign business saw a clear divide between urban and regional markets. Urban areas remained firm, including for small- and medium-format units, while the decline in regional areas continued.」
While urban areas remained firm, the company describes the continuing deterioration in regional sales as an ongoing downward spiral, indicating that weakness in regional sales has persisted. - FY2017RestatedAnnual report
「The core small- and medium-format LED sign business remained weak, partly because of the sluggish regional economy.」
The company continues to report weak sales of small- and medium-format LED signs, driven by the sluggish regional economy, in its annual results. - FY2017-Q3RestatedAnnual report
「Large-format LED signage for medium- and large-sized stores and commercial facilities grew, but small- and medium-format LED signs remained weak, partly because of the sluggish regional economy.」
The company continues to report weak sales of small- and medium-format LED signs against the backdrop of the sluggish regional economy. - FY2017-Q2WorsenedAnnual report
「The regional economy in the TOWA reseller group remained sluggish, and although a new model was introduced for LED display equipment, revenue declined.」
The company states that LED display revenue declined despite the introduction of a new model as the regional economy remained sluggish, providing a more specific account of the impact of weak sales. - FY2017-Q1First statedAnnual report
「Weak sales by regional distributors have continued.」
The company identifies the continuing weakness in sales by regional distributors as a factor contributing to deterioration in business performance.